JFET

I've come up with a new mantra for racing.  I've been putting a lot of pressure on myself to finish with a certain time, maintain a certain pace, be in a certain percentile in results, etc.  All of those are good goals.  However, when I'm focusing just on that and the success or failure of the outcome is based on those criteria, it can be really stressful.  I can easily lose sight of why I'm doing this in the first place how much fun I'm having.  I recently read an article about how to deal with anxiety during a triathlon.  Or, rather it was about how to relax and enjoy the moment.  There were a number of things that resonated with me.  Two of the key points that have stuck with me have been:

1. No one cares about your time but you. - I've been so worried about my overall time that I'm losing sight of the bigger picture.  No one cares what time I finished it.  Did I finish and have fun is all they really care about. I learned that with marathon training pretty early on.  Not sure why I didn't translate that well to triathlon.
2. You deserve this and to do well. - This is a big one.  So often I can easily feel intimidated and feel like I shouldn't be there; that I'm out of my league.  When I see people who are faster than I am, stronger than I, more fit than I, it's hard not to think this.  But, like my high school football coach used to say, "that's 'stinking thinking'".

It reminds of me of a quote I read years ago, from Jimmy Buffett of all people: "If you ever get a chance to run with the ball, count on fumbling and getting the shit knocked out of you.  Just remember how much fun it was to run with the ball."  So, to remind myself of all of this and to relax and enjoy the moment, I have my new mantra: JFET - Just Fucking Enjoy This!